CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois opened its weekend series against No. 20 Nebraska with a 10-5 win over the ranked Cornhuskers on Friday night.
A three-hit day from Jack Zebig and a grand slam from Will Johannes fueled the Fighting Illini offense, while Regan Hall got the start and tossed seven innings en route to his sixth victory of the season.
Jack Zebig went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI, while Michael Farina and Nick Groves both tallied two hits with two runs scored. AJ Putty accounted for two RBI of his own.
On the mound, Hall went seven innings with six strikeouts, while Sam Mommer threw two scoreless frames in relief.
Zebig’s two-out home run in the first opened the scoring before the hosts plated six in the bottom of the third. Johannes’ grand slam highlighted the high-scoring inning as the Illini batted around and took a 7-0 advantage.
After the Huskers got on the board with the game’s next four runs, the Orange and Blue answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Groves, Zebig, and Putty all drove in a run in the frame as the home side extended their lead to 10-4 through six.
Nebraska cut into its deficit with a run in the top of the seventh, but Mommer efficiently ended the game with back-to-back zeros in the eighth and ninth to seal the Illini win.
